Wednesday, May 04, 2016

The first Tuesday in May is our For our annual visit to Great Ormond Street Hospital's Scout Troop. As usual, there's a familiar bunch of leaders, and whichever children are in hospital are in hospital and ready/able to to do scouting.

We danced some (ahem) three-man Morris, interspersed with talk and discussion.

One young scout congratulated James on being really good at playing melodeon.

Then a little chat about the importance of traditional instruments was suddenly drowned out by.... Jeremy's sax.

This led into a Nutting Girl, the only bit we got photos of, as James had his hands free.

The scouts joined in from some stick dancing - Balance the Straw and Young Collins - with the "simplified hey" that makes ad hoc mixed ability Morris so much more possible. Just replace the hey with a "whole gyp" like movement, and suddenly no one goes wrong, and Morris can be danced by any number....

[Jeremy assures us that this is all perfectly acceptable for Morris scholars, as we are simply evolving the dance backwards to its courtly roots in the Inns of Court in London]

We lowered the flag with the scouts, and went for a drink with the Scout leaders. Thank you Great Ormond Street Hospital, for having us once again....